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The Art Hostage team undertakes a wide range of services, including due diligence, collection conservation and management, risk assessment and security as well as legal issues, recovery and dispute resolution involving art and artifacts. Through partnerships with leading organizations, the Art Hostage team can provide a complete service for all aspects of collecting and protecting art.

Tens of thousands of pounds worth of antiques have been stolen from homes.
The thieves have raided the homes in West Sussex while the occupants
are asleep, always making off with valuable items – on one occasion
stealing a seven-foot grandfather clock.
Among the items taken during the first burglary between 9pm on January
2 and 9am on January 3 were more than a dozen ivory figures, porcelain
and jade perfume bottles and boxes from the Far East, a series of
paintings and a dozen Royal Doulton figurines of ladies.
On this occasion the raider targeted the property in Amberley Drive, Worthing, while the elderly resident was asleep.
The second burglary took place in in Old Fort Road, Shoreham, between
3pm on January 2 and 5am on January 4 while the owner was away.
A large amount of valuable gold jewellery was taken along with oil
paintings, bone handled cutlery, watches, Hornby 00 gauge railway items,
60 collectable American tobacco silks and a pair of foot high blue
Chinese dragons from the Far East.
The third burglary was at a home in Washington, near Steyning, between
1.50am and 2.50am on January 7 while the residents were asleep.
Among the items taken were a number of brass clocks, silver
candlesticks and cutlery, Chinese vases, a satinwood table and a walnut
cupboard.
The fourth burglary was at a home in East Street, West Chiltington,
near Horsham, between 11.45pm on Thursday and 9am on Friday.
The items taken include a seven-foot grandfather clock, a number of paintings, two TVs and a DVD player.
Detective Constable Jon Stadius said: "In each case the burglars
appear to have selected carefully the items they think are of the most
value and left other items behind.

"Large numbers of items have been taken so a vehicle would have been
needed to transport them away. Some of the items, such as the
grandfather clock, were extremely heavy so it is likely a number of
people have been involved.
"We would like to speak to anyone who has seen any people or vehicles
in the areas of the burglaries recently who looked suspicious or out of
place.
"We are also keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the items for sale or has been offered the chance to buy them.
"Please contact us if you know anything at all so we can catch those responsible."

Host of stolen items to be reunited with Brighton owners

Staff at Brighton Police station have amassed dozens of stolen items from burglaries across the area.
Paintings, signs, brass fittings, antiques, ornaments and similar
items were stolen in 30 incidents around Brighton and Hove between March
and October last year.
Police have worked to trace and reunite the items with their owners
and are urging anyone who has lost possessions to get in touch.Some items can be viewed online on the police website here.
A 37-year-old man has been convicted of three burglaries and
sentenced to nine months in prison, and a 50-year-old Brighton man is
currently on bail after being arrested on suspicion of handling stolen
goods

Most of the properties targeted were large, historic apartment blocks
in Brighton and Hove. The items recovered are all unique and
identifiable. Unfortunately some valuables known to have been stolen are
still missing. They include a limited edition, bronze statue "Horse
Saddled With Time" created by the prominent Spanish surrealist artist
Salvador Dali, worth an estimated £24,000."

– Richard Valder-Davis,Detective Constable

Elderly woman's cash and jewellery taken in suspected distraction burglary in Bexhill

Elderly woman's cash and jewellery taken in suspected distraction burglary in Bexhill

An elderly woman had her cash and jewellery stolen in a suspected distraction burglary.
Police are investigating the incident in Jameson Road, Bexhill after
the woman allowed a caller to enter her flat at about 11.30am yesterday.
The caller said he needed to leave a note for a flat upstairs and the woman, 81, stayed with him while he wrote it out.

From Last July 2013;July 2013: A lady emailed me to say that she was called on recently by a 'nice man' who bought some items from her house. The man concerned appears to be Lee Collins, known to the police. It may be that he is now 'going straight' and is totally above board, but it is well to be on guard in case he is using access to houses to 'survey' items for future acquisition by means fair or foul. Don't also forget that my understanding is that doorstep callers require a trading licence to so do. The theft of the grandfather clock, paintings etc was in West Chiltington, appears Lee Collins may have indeed sent back thieves to raid this house.

Why are you doing this to Lee Collins he has been absolutely set up by people like you to try and ruin him and his family do you not understand the impact it's having on his young daughter he has done nothing of the sort that you are saying again why don't you get on with your own life and pick on someone who deserves it if I thought anything you wrote was true i would not be sitting here defending this poor man.

Having known Lee Collins as being 1 of the arresting officers I can say this man does not appear to break any laws as always has receipts signed by the people he brought the items from. He may offer less but if the person signs then there is no law broken. I admit I do not like it but its just not criminal and most importantly I do not like knowing my superiors are trying to set this family man up with a substantial sentence. I will stand up if the DS and DCI keep breaking rules

Himself a former trafficker of stolen art, Turbo Paul Hendry M.A. provides information to the readers of his blogs (including collectors, victims, insurers, and other members of the public) regarding the latest news from the world of stolen art and artifacts and, wherever possible, he assists in the recovery of art and artifacts stolen by others. Art Hostage, for the last Ten years, has provided services to private individuals, insurers, law enforcement agencies, and to those who have information that will lead to the recovery of stolen art.